Pyroxylin compound



NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ST VE S, OF NEWARK, AND FRANK o. AXTELL, or EAsToRAN'eE, EW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO THE GELLULOID COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A ooRPoRATIoN OF NEW JERSEY.

PYROXYLIN COMPOUND.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 568,104, dated September-22, 1896. Application filed July 23,1898. Serial No- 600.239. (No specimens- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN H.'STEVENS, of the city of Newark, and FRANK O. .AXTELL, of the city of East Orange, county of Essex,

State of New Jersey, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pyroxylin Compounds, of which the following is a specification.

The pyroxylin compounds to which the IO present invention relates consist of. soluble pyroxylin dissolved in or combined with either solid or liquid solvents. Suitable col- .oring matters or pigments are also employed in the mixtures in making imitations of various substances. The compositions are also employed in the liquid state, as varnishes or solutions for coating or waterproofing surfaces, and. are also flowed upon smooth surfaces, for-instance, glass, to form films or sheets to be, stripped therefrom after the evaporation of the liquid solvent.

The-nature of the pyroxylin employed and the various solvents and other substances used in'connection with it are well known to I the art to whichthis invention appertains,

and are also set forth in various patents and publications, especially the United States Patents No. 517,987, of April 10, 1894; No.

542,692, of July 16, 1895; N 0. 559,823, of May 12, 1896, and N0. 543,108,,01. July 23, 1895, all

issued to John H. Stevens, one of the present applicants, and No. 510,617, of December 12, 1893, issued to John H. Stevens and l frank 0. Axtell, both the present applicants; These 3 5 patents describe the manipulations to which the pyroxylin compoundsare subjected and many of the applications of the finished products. I

Our present invention is based on thefact 40 that the organic carbanilates, a series of substances well known to chemistry, can be usefully applied to the manufacture of pyroxylin compounds, because of their solvent power on pyroxylin and other valuable char acteristics when'associated with it. We find that they can be successfully employed to replace the older solid solvents, like camphor, or, if necessary, can be used in connection with the various older combinations. The 5o organic carbanilates are formed by the action chloro ormate Anilin 'banilate. the use of all the" organic carbanilates in py- We have not been able to find iso-amyl car- I of the chloroformic esters of the fatty'alcohols on 'anilin (phenylamin). .carbanilate is, formed -by acting on anilin Forinstance, ethyl with ethylic chloroformate, thus:

Eth lic Anilin Ethyl carbanilate h drochlorate c100, o,n,+2o,H,.Nn,=o,n,.Nnco,.o,n,+c,,.Nn, not I While there may possibly be a carbanilate corresponding to each alcohol, we have investigated onlythose carbanilates which con.- tain the radicals belonging to the monohydric monatomic series of fatty alcohols. Our experience is confined to the following: Methyl carbanilate (0H,. NHCG, C 11 Ethyl carbanilate. (C,H .NHCO .C,H

Propyl carbanilate (O H NHOO C 11 Butyl I carbanilate (0 H, NHOO,. O H Amyl carbanilate (C H .NHOO C 11 Ethyl carbanil'ate is identical with the sub stance known asf phenyl urethane or ethyl phenyl carbamate (.C,H .NHCO0.G H,).

The series of bodies known as organic urethan es is the subject of a separate application filed simultaneously herewith by John H. Stevens, one of the applicants herein, Serial No. 600,420; bptthe phenyl urethane or ethyl'carbanilate belongs more properlyvto the present group of solvent carbanilates because of chemical relationship, action as a solvent, and other reasons, and is therefore included in thepresent application. I

- The propyl, butyl, and amyl carbanilates are capable of existing in various -modifications,de'pendent on supposed melecnlarstructure; but we have made and used those which 85 are more readily produced, and therefore recommend and prefer normal propyl carbanilate, iso-bntyl carbanilate, and iso-amyl car'- Onr invention, however, includes 9O roxylin combinations, provided the meltingpoints are sufficiently low to dissolve the pyroxylin without decomposition. So far as we have ascertained the melting-points of all the organiccarbanilates are inclined to below. 5 banilate described in any of the'standard works on chemistry; but it is easily produced by a reaction analogous to that given-that is, byacting on iso-amylic chloroformate with 10,,

- solute] y pure.

-55.2 centigrade.

anilin. It crystallizes from ordinary liquid I paraffin (benzine) in fine needles, which melt at 52 centigrade.

The following description of the members of the preferred group of carbanilates applies especially to the chemically pure substancesi In practical work it is not always necessarythat the carbauilate employed should be ab- It might, for instance, contain other carbanilates or substances which are more or less useful, or, at least, not injurious in pyroxylin compositions "We do not confine ourselves therefore to the use of any particular carbanilate having the identical properties given by the authorities as belonging to the pure substance represented by the chemical formula abovespecified. It is sufficient for our purpose if the solvent possesses enough of the carhanilate principle to be usef ul, though of course we recommend that the substance to be employed be in as pure a state as possible consistent with economy. Subject to such reservations we give the preferred group of carbanila-tes.

Methyl carbanilate is a colorless crystalline substance of slight odor. Its melting-point is 4:7.3 centigrade. It is easily soluble in the ordinary liquid menstrua employed in this art. Though somewhat weaker than camphor in its direct solvent action when melt-ed, nevertheless it forms strong plastic compounds with pyroxylin and can be employed in the same manner as camphor. In compounds for rolling grain alcohol is an excellent liquid inenstruum when used with methyl cal-baniate.

Ethyl carbanilate is a colorless crystalline substance with a faint sweetish odor. Its melting-point is l -5.5 eentigrade. It is easily sqluble in such ordinarymenstrua as alcohol, wood-spirit, and amyl acetate, and can be used like the methyl carbanilate.

Normal propyl carbanilate is a colorless crystalline substance possessing a faint but not unpleasant odor. Its -melting-point is It resembles methyl carbanilate in solubility and solvent powers, and

although slow in solvent action .on pyroxylin when melted, nevertheless in the usual combinations it gives a good homogeneous compound possessing excellent plasticity.

Iso-butyl carbanilate occurs in colorless needles of moderately strong but not unpleasant odor. Its melting-point is 822 centigrade. In solubilityit resembles methyl carbanilate, although not so freely soluble as the latter. In making rolling compounds with iso-butyl carbanilate it is best to use wood-spirit, although the other liquid solvents are useful in.proportion to their active solvent powers. Iso-butyl carbanilate,when thoroughly combined with the pyroxylin, gives good plastic results.

Iso-amyl carbanilate occurs in small colorless needle-shaped crystals having a faint sweetish odor. Its melting-point is 52 centigrade. It is a useful solvent of pyroxylin,

but is less active than the other members of the preferred group. It nevertheless forms useful compositions. We prefer to use woodspirit as the liquid menstruum in making rolling compounds with it. With all of the earbanilates we employ the usual liquid solvents when making compositions of a fluid or fiowable nature. To overcome the difliculties connected with the weak solvent action of the higher ca-rbanilates, like the amyl carbanilate, it is only necessary to mix them with the lower. carbanilates, like the methyl carbanilate, for instance. The result is a compound carbanilate solvent which gives superior plastic effects. In fact, the mixture of the carbanilates gives improved results over a single carbanilate because of this property. Compounds of extreme plasticity can be produced by combining the carbanilates with camphor when making a solvent for the pyroxylin. hen a carbanilate'or mixture of carbanilates is used in equal proportions with camphor, the resulting pyroxylin compounds are remarkably soft and plastic. By

varying, the proportions of camphor the operator is enabled to produce a very wide range of plasticities. late roll mixtures the best results are obtained by grinding the damp nitrocellulose with either the camphor or carbanilate and adding the remaining constituent of the solid solvent with the liquid menstrua after the nitrocellulose is dry. The carbanilates are also useful with acetauilid. -The series of substances known as uretlianes, which form the subject of a separate, application, previously mentioned, Serial No. 600,420, can also be employed with the carbanilates, the result being an improvement over the use of either the carbanilates or of the urethanes separately. Excellent plastic effects are obtained by these mixtures.

As to the application of these solvents in making the various compositions, it is suflieient to state that in massive or rolled compounds we employ from forty to fifty parts of solid solvent to each one hundred parts of pyroxylin, whether the solid solvent consists of a single solvent or of a mixture of the substances given.

The solubility of the carbanilates in the diflerent liquid menstrua usually employed in this art must be taken as a guide in the selection of the proper liquid solvent. rule the lower carba-nilates, that is, the methyl carbanilate and the ethyl carbanilate, permit the employment of weak solvents, like alcohol, while the higher carbanilates work the best with strong solvents, like wood-spirit. The various mixtures of the carbanilates permit the employment of alcohol, especially in compositions for rolling.

For liquid compounds we prefer a solvent selected to produce the particular effect obtainable by the use of such solvent-s, as is well understood. In liquid compositions we usually employ about t-wenty-five parts of the In making camphor-carbani-' As a.

solid solvent to each one hundrr'idfpants of the pyroxylin, though in making comppsitions which, when dried are to be soft or extremely plastic, we have used as high as one part of the solid solvent recommended for such par- ,t-icular purposes to each part of pyroxylin.

.In making solid compositions withoutthe employment of liquid solvents it is usual to employ larger proportions of the solid solvent than when liquid solvents are also employed.

The operator must simply avoid using so large a proportion that-the qua ity the material Q .will be impaired, as is well understood.

- them plastic constitutes an employment of with pyroxylin and subjecting the mixture to' heat and pressure, su bs tantially as described.

2. The method for the production of comw pounds of pyroxylin, which consists in intimately mixing one or more of organic carbanilates, pyroxylin, and one .or more solvents of pyroxylin, and then subjectingsuch mixture to heatand pres-sore, sub:- tantially as set forth.

3. The method for the production of compounds of pyrox'ylin, which consists in in- 'tin nate'ly mixing one or more of the organic caglgbanilates, pyroxylin, and camphor, and 40 then subjecting such mixture to heat and pressure, substantially as set forth.

4. The method for-the production of compounds of pyroxylin which consists in intimately mixing one or more of the organicv carbanilates with pyroxylin andone or more solvents of pyroxylin, sufiicientin amount to convert the mixture into a pyroxylin compound or solution, substantially as set forth.

5. The process of manufacturing pyroxylin compounds which consists in grinding the damp nitrocellulose with either the camphor or one or more of the carbanilates, and adding th e' remaining constituent of. the solid solvent with the liquid menstrua after the nitrocellulose is dry, substantially as described.

6. As a new composition of matter, a py-' roxylincompound containing one or more of the organic carbanilates and pyroxylin, substantially as described.

7. As a new, composition ofmatteua compound of pyroxylin containing one or more of the organic carbanilates, camp hor and pyroxylin, substantially as described.

8. As a new composition of matter, a compound of ,pyroxylin containing one 'or more of the organic carbanilates and one or more solvents of pyroxylin, substantially as described.

In witness whereof wehave hereunto'signed our names this 29th day of J une, 1896.

' JOHN H. STEVENS.

FRANK (1- AXTELL.

In presence of- ABRAHAM MANNnns, HORACE S. MILLER.

ion in Letters Patent No. 568,104.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent 0. 568,104, granted September 22, 1896, upon the application of John H. Stevens, o f Newark, "and Frank C. Axtell, of East Orange, New Jersey, for an improvement Pyroxyl in Compounds, an error appears in the printed speeifieatio requiring eorreetionyas follows: In lirie 17, page 2, the

word formul should. readfomulw; and that the said Letters Petent should be read with this correction therei that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent 0mm Signed','eodntersigned,' and sealed. this 29th day of September, A. D. 18.96.

[snub] I I WM. H. SIMS,-

- First Assistant Secretary of the Interior. Countersigned: A

S. '1. Flsmm,

Acting Commissioner ofPatents. 

